HELP! I drowned my brand new MacBook!

My waterbottle opened in my backpack, dousing my (closed and off) MacBook with 1/2 liter of water. I waited about 52 hrs before turning it on, heated it a little and used the blow drier. I let it drain. When I turned it on, everything was fine except the screen was really dark. I could still see what was on the screen, but it was like the background light was off. I tried increasing brightness, but nothing helped.

Did the light short circuit? Can that be replaced? I bought the expensive $250 Apple Care warranty, will that cover it if I don't say I spilled h2o all over it?

How much does it cost to replace the background light in the MacBook display?

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A few days ago, a G3 PowerBook came into the Campus Apple Store I work at with a backlight out, but the image still viewable on the screen like your situation. Of course the computer didn't have a warranty anymore (much like your computer ), so in that case, I believe Apple needed to replace the entire screen, not just the light. You are looking at a very costly repair, most likely.

There definitely is a much greater responsibility when owning a Mac because with the beauty of the machines, they can be damaged very easily. Please be more careful in the future. I know it was an accident, but Mac owners anticipate that things like that might happen and make sure there's no possible chance.

Sorry for your loss. Hopefully something's different in the G3 example I gave you and your MacBook so they don't have to replace the entire screen.

There definitely is a much greater responsibility when owning a Mac because with the beauty of the machines, they can be damaged very easily.

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I have a feeling that the problem the OP is experiencing is not Mac specific. The iBook/MacBook are some of the most durable notebooks out there, but they aren't invincible. This is a tough break, and I understand the feeling of breaking a new expensive toy, hopefully for the OP, it can be taken care of without too much issue.

I have a feeling that the problem the OP is experiencing is not Mac specific. The iBook/MacBook are some of the most durable notebooks out there, but they aren't invincible. This is a tough break, and I understand the feeling of breaking a new expensive toy, hopefully for the OP, it can be taken care of without too much issue.

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Maybe I wasn't clear in my post. Sorry about that. I meant that with an expensive AND beautiful toy like a Mac, there's more of a responsibility to FORSEE accidents than there would be with something like a Dell, which has the capability to be expensive, but rarely beautiful. So I was assuming (maybe incorrectly?) that the OP is a new switcher to Mac and I just wanted him to understand the with a Mac, you have a machine that's worth the extra time and care taken to ANTICIPATE accidents and prevent them. For instance, you would never in a million years catch me having water in the same compartment of a backpack with a Mac. Probably not even in a separate compartment. I think that's common sense to an experienced Mac user, but now I'm seeing that I'm being quite unfair. It's what I believe though.

There definitely is a much greater responsibility when owning a Mac because with the beauty of the machines, they can be damaged very easily. Please be more careful in the future. I know it was an accident, but Mac owners anticipate that things like that might happen and make sure there's no possible chance.

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Nice. What, and PC owners routinely spill drinks all over their machines, because hey, they were ugly to begin with?

I see no correlation between "the beauty of the machines" and "they can be damaged very easily". All laptops are delicate machines, with the possible exception of those specifically designed to take abuse. I like to believe that Apple's machines are beautiful AND functional.

Nor do I see how "Mac owners anticipate these things" any more than PC users do, as a rule. I know you're appealing to his sensibilities and the general pride of ownership that comes with paying the premium (yes) for a Mac. Sure, we all want to baby our Macs. But accidents can and do happen, and essentially saying that Macs are somehow more delicate and that somehow "the REST of us anticipate these things and make sure there's no possible chance" is not helpful to the OP in the least.

If I paid a lot of money for a computer from ANY company, I'd feel gutted that my computer is dead. I'd also treat any computer I own well. It's not a matter of brand. They're all expensive, and they all hold files and work that are valuable to use, regardless of whether it's a Dell or HP or Apple.

Maybe I wasn't clear in my post. Sorry about that. I meant that with an expensive AND beautiful toy like a Mac, there's more of a responsibility to FORSEE accidents than there would be with something like a Dell, which has the capability to be expensive, but rarely beautiful. So I was assuming (maybe incorrectly?) that the OP is a new switcher to Mac and I just wanted him to understand the with a Mac, you have a machine that's worth the extra time and care taken to ANTICIPATE accidents and prevent them. For instance, you would never in a million years catch me having water in the same compartment of a backpack with a Mac. Probably not even in a separate compartment. I think that's common sense to an experienced Mac user, but now I'm seeing that I'm being quite unfair. It's what I believe though.

Daniel.

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That's just tomfoolery. To think you'd take better care of one computer over another due to aesthetics. Whether Mac or PC, both put significant dents in your wallet.

There definitely is a much greater responsibility when owning a Mac because with the beauty of the machines, they can be damaged very easily. Please be more careful in the future. I know it was an accident, but Mac owners anticipate that things like that might happen and make sure there's no possible chance.Daniel.

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I would have to agree with you here Daniel - there is something about portable PC users who seem to throw these machines about the place. I don't know of any mac user who would do the same.

Whilst I treat all things in my possession with great care - when I borrow a PC I don't feel the need to baby it as much. If I borrow a mac portable - it's treated (in my mind) like a precious metal.

Now... does that mean - PC's are more robust? or ... we all value our Mac's more? Not sure what the answer is there.

Sorry to hear about your water accident mapleleaf - sounds like you did all the right things post incident - ring apple repair and see what the quote is. This is common though - water bottles leaking in bags - I see many soggy books and ruined assignments this way. Always use the ext water holders in bags if you can next time.

On my last night out as a Student, I awoke in the Morning to find that I had urinated all over my Dell Inspiron. The Insprion was open, sitting on my desk and it was switched on lol. Well, after a couple of months I got a MacBook to replace it for nothing, so it wasn't all bad

On my last night out as a Student, I awoke in the Morning to find that I had urinated all over my Dell Inspiron. The Insprion was open, sitting on my desk and it was switched on lol. Well, after a couple of months I got a MacBook to replace it for nothing, so it wasn't all bad

... does that mean - PC's are more robust? or ... we all value our Mac's more? Not sure what the answer is there.

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Because Mac's are like art. People like to keep them looking as beautiful as the day they bought them. The people at the Apple Store looked me like I was crazy when I bought my PM in wrapped in two blankets.

Nice. What, and PC owners routinely spill drinks all over their machines, because hey, they were ugly to begin with?

I see no correlation between "the beauty of the machines" and "they can be damaged very easily". All laptops are delicate machines, with the possible exception of those specifically designed to take abuse. I like to believe that Apple's machines are beautiful AND functional.

Nor do I see how "Mac owners anticipate these things" any more than PC users do, as a rule. I know you're appealing to his sensibilities and the general pride of ownership that comes with paying the premium (yes) for a Mac. Sure, we all want to baby our Macs. But accidents can and do happen, and essentially saying that Macs are somehow more delicate and that somehow "the REST of us anticipate these things and make sure there's no possible chance" is not helpful to the OP in the least.

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I could not agree with you more. I hate to see what happened with the water and the OP, but seriously to shelter yourself or think you will shelter yourself from this is silly. I had no liquid in my bag and somehow there was some condensation from the floor of a small commuter plane I was on. I walked off the plane and my backpack (photo+laptop) was wet on the bottom. I did have it in a sleeve and there is about an inch of padding there, but still, I was worried. Should I not fly with a Mac? Doubtful.

Because Mac's are like art. People like to keep them looking as beautiful as the day they bought them. The people at the Apple Store looked me like I was crazy when I bought my PM in wrapped in two blankets.

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Then moments later they take it from you telling you "We'll take it from here", and pushed it across their workbench

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